Baling Machines

Baling Machines Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a baler?

  A baler is a type of recycling machine utilised to process recyclable waste into a format that allows for easy and efficient storage on site in preparation for collection by a waste management services provider.

   

• What size waste baler do I need?

  Baler machines come in a variety of sizes and have fundamental differences that impact how quickly and how much material you can load before needing to cycle the baler; as well as the size of material that can fit in.

  We have provided some general guidance below:

  Baler Filling Opening: Ease of Loading

  Consider the size of the material you are looking to recycle. For example, a cardboard sheet that is 1000mm wide x 600mm long would not fit in a small baler chamber of 700mm x 450mm without folding both sides.

  A large model such as a mill size baler will also have significantly more depth in the chamber allowing you to fill more material before cycling the machine.

  Both of these fundamental considerations can save you significant amounts of time, even with our models fast cycling time of only 32 seconds.

  Bale Size: Storage and Floor Space

  Consider how much space you have in your facility or yard. Two examples of bale sizes:

  Typical small balers: 700 x 500 x 500 (L x W x H mm) versus mill size balers: 1200 x 800 x 1100

  A small bale will require ejecting from the machine regularly, a larger bale will not. A larger bale will also be more structurally sound and safer to stack using a forklift or bale stacker, whilst a smaller bale would be easy to move on a sack truck.

  Bale Weight: Maximising Tonnage

  If you are limited on space while looking to obtain the best rebates for your recycling bales, you may decide a large vertical baler is your best option.

  This is typically the case as most of the larger models will provide a bale that weighs 450kg and up. This means that for every 1 square metre of floor space, with a double stacked bale, you could have around 1 tonne of material. Where safe and appropriate to do so, you could have at least 1.35 tonnes of material stacked 3 high (being 3.3 metres excluding pallets) for every square metre of floor space.

  For bales typically stacked 2 high then, with 20 square metres of floor space, you would have an artic load of material.

  Based on these tonnages, you would obtain the best market rates, with Compact & Bale offering the below rates:

  Rates are per tonne as of April 2022

  • Selling cardboard up to £130
  • Selling Plastic up to £300
  • Selling paper (such as sorted office paper) up to £200
  • Selling Tins & Cans up to £250
  • Selling Polystyrene up to £550

  When looking at a small or medium-mid-range baler you will find that due to the significantly reduced bale weight and size, recycling partners will have to break the bales open and reprocess them into a mill-size bale. This partner will have transported less tonnage on the collecting vehicle, which potentially results in greater costs handling the material. These factors result in a lower rebate paid to you unless the provider is flexibly collecting your material alongside other sites on a route.

• What are the different types of recycling baler?

  Not all balers are the same. Whilst they are used for the same purpose, they produce vastly different results.

  To help you identify which type of baler may be best for you, here are the five typical types of baler:

  Vertical Balers

  This type of baler is the most commonly found machine on the market and takes up the smallest footprint by standing upright. They are typically taller than they are wide.

  This range of balers can be found in small and low headroom environments or could be as tall as 4 metres.

  They are ideal for companies with limited space and provide options for small to mid volume producers of waste. You may find these machines are most suitable if you produce less than 20 tonnes of recycling per week.

  The more material you need to recycle, the less this range is typically efficient however because you are restricted by the cycle time of the machine. During the machines cycle, the door is closed to the chamber to prevent further filling and potential for injury, you can not continue filling until the door re-opens.

  Multi-Chamber Balers

  This is a vertical baler but with multiple chambers (up to four). This means you could recycle your cardboard, plastic film, rigid plastics, tins and cans as example, in one machine. You could alternatively, cycle the machine and while it is baling in one chamber,  continue filling in the other. You might only want to do this however if you do not have headroom for a larger machine.

  Horizontal/Semi Automatic Balers

  This type are particularly popular for mid to large size producers. This is because the models can come with a splayed hopper which sits atop the machine and can be continually filled while the machine cycles. You can also fit a photocell so that the machine cycles automatically, which ensures the operator only needs to focus on filling the machine with material until the bale is ready to be ejected. This machine typically has significantly less downtime than a vertical baler machine but still requires to be manually tied off once the baler is ready to eject.

  Fully Automatic/Channel Balers

  Like the above semi automatic balers, these models can be continually fed by a conveyer, chute, bin lift, extraction system by hand and from a dock or from ground level.

  They will also fully tie the bale and eject out onto a ramp. Dependent on the size of the ramp, you will save significant amounts of labour and prevent production stoppages.

  With the right in-feed option you could have a fully autonomous baling operation.

  They can also be fitting with modems and other specialist controls to notify remote operators of any issues (such as when the bale ramp is full requiring bales to be collected) as well as to provide controls and timing of material feeds.

  Twin-Ram Balers

  Two ram balers are the most effective balers for processing different types of material. This could be cardboard, hard plastics, RFD or plastic films; these models produce extreme bale weights and densities.

  What’s the difference between a Fully Automatic or Twin?

  The main consideration is heavier bale weights and on average a twin ram baler will process wider and greater volumes of waste materials whereas a fully auto or Channel baler is suited only for one material at a time such as for processing cardboard in a production plant or distribution centre.

• Where can we sell our baled recyclables?

  Your bales can be sold to a variety of papermills, manufacturers, reprocessors and exporters around the UK.

  Fortunately for Compact & Bale customers, this service is provided with every new machine installed.

  Our collections team have been purchasing commodities for 21 years, with a network that has grown to cover the majority of mainland UK. Your material will go to either a UK plant or to an export market, subject to your preference.

  This means if you purchase any baler from our business, we will provide you with the best rates you can expect based on the material quality, site storage, baler size and accessibility.

  As part of our proposals, we will factor in your commodities and provide an offer for the material at current market rates.

  Providing you with a complete solution from the proposal stage through to the on-going operation.

  Rates are per tonne as of April 2022

  • Cardboard Buyers up to £130
  • Plastic Buyers up to £300
  • Paper Buyers (such as sorted office paper) up to £200
  • Tins & Cans Buyers  up to £250
  • Polystyrene Buyers up to £550
• What maintenance is required for a baler?

  Our business has been trading since 2000 and with a long history comes experience and reach. Our team has grown significantly over this period from a small office to a large production workshop with a highly skilled team of engineers.

  Servicing

  Our engineers are based around the UK in the South, Midlands and North providing regular Baler Servicing to all our clients.

  Servicing is typically carried out every six months and all our customers have an account to access all their maintenance records.

  In some instances, servicing may be scheduled more regularly dependent on the size of the baler and how much use or material it receives.

  Breakdowns

  In the unlikely event that your baler breaks down, we operate a standard 24 hour call out time to attend and carry out repairs.

  Our baler engineers are experienced with repairing all manner of typical faults including those that are very much unexpected.

  The good news is, as suppliers of high quality baling machines, these instances are very much a rare occurrence.

  Maintenance Plans

  If you are looking to hire a baler then you are fully covered for both periodical servicing and breakdowns.

  All repairs include baler parts unless the damage is as a result of user error or negligence.

  If you are looking to outright purchase a baler, then we have a number of plans providing excellent cover which are bespoke to each type of machine.